Fittonia albivenis
Encyclopedia
Fittonia albivenis is a garden plant in the family Acanthaceae
notable for its dark green foliage. It is commonly called Nerve Plant or Mosaic Plant.
It ". . .is employed by the Kofan
and Siona-Secoya tribes of the Ecuadorian Amazon
as a headache treatment."
The leaves are ". . . used by the Machiguenga
as a hallucinogenic admixture in kamarampi prior to their introduction to Psychotria viridis
." They are said to "produce visions of eyeballs."
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
notable for its dark green foliage. It is commonly called Nerve Plant or Mosaic Plant.
Growth
Fittonia albivenis grows as a short plant with lush green leaves with accented veins of white to deep pink and have a short fuzz covering its stems. Small buds may appear after time where the stem splits into leaves. Flowers are small with a white to off-white color. This plant is best kept in a moist area with mild sunlight and temperatures above 55 °F (12.8 °C). It must be watered regularly. Without water for a few days, this plant is known to "faint" but is easily revived with a quick watering and resumes its healthiness. Fittonia albivenis is known to be hard to grow, so it is best bought at a nursery then cared for. Fittonia albivenis makes a great indoor plant as well as a groundcover.Uses
The species is used as an ornamental plant.It ". . .is employed by the Kofan
Kofan
Kofan is a commune in the Cercle of Sikasso in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. The principal town lies at Kafana. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 9177.-References:...
and Siona-Secoya tribes of the Ecuadorian Amazon
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
as a headache treatment."
The leaves are ". . . used by the Machiguenga
Machiguenga
The Machiguenga are an indigenous people of the Amazon Basin jungle regions of southeastern Peru, east of Machu Picchu and close to the borders of Bolivia and Brazil. The people are short, but stoutly built, with broad facial features, and very rarely overweight...
as a hallucinogenic admixture in kamarampi prior to their introduction to Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis is a shrub from the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has many local names, including Chacruna and Chacrona ....
." They are said to "produce visions of eyeballs."